JUNE 10, 2015

FAIRFAX, Va. – Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in favor of an amendment to the Transportation and HUD appropriations bill Rep. Paul Gosar plans to offer (R-Ariz.) defunding implementation of the "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing" rule and the "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Assessment Tool," which when finalized will empower the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to condition eligibility for community development block grants on redrawing zoning maps to achieve racial and income integration:

"We urge support for Rep. Gosar's amendment to defund HUD regulations redrawing zoning maps in any locality that accepts any part of the $3.5 billion a year in community development block grants from the federal government. HUD has no place in local zoning decisions, which are better left up to states, counties, and cities to figure out for themselves. The House adopted a similar rider last year, and should do so again.

Racial quotas as unconstitutional, and yet that is exactly what HUD will use to redraw every neighborhood in America. This has nothing to do with housing discrimination, which has been illegal since the 1960s. Instead 'Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing' is based on a utopian goal of creating evenly distributed neighborhoods based on racial composition and income. The House must take a stand to preserve local zoning rights."